The invention relates to a response analyzer, and more particularly to a response analyzer adapted for use in the totalization of votes, determination of educational effects and other applications.
The simplest way for an interrogator to see the choice made by answereres from a number of illustrative answers presented in connection with a question is to take a show of hands. This yields two kinds of information, namely, first, the number of answerers who have raised their hands for each particular answer or the proportion of such number against the total number of answerers, and secondly, the information concerning particular persons who raised their hands for each answer. In a certain voting situation, such as at a conference, it may be sufficient to know the number of the consenting party while in a lesson in the school it may be of importance to know which students have chosen a particular illustrative answer. In either instance, the process of a show of hands involves a psychological effect of certain answerers upon the remainder, which militates against the reliability of the result obtained. In addition, it requires an increased length of time for totalization where the response from a multitude of answerers is desired.
To overcome such difficulties there has been proposed an electrical voting apparatus, to substitute for a show of hands, which comprises a determination unit electrically connected with a plurality of answering devices allotted to each answerer, each including a selection switch so that the result of the operation of the respective switches by the answerers can be immediately totalized and displayed on the unit. Each answering device is allotted a given signal frequency, which, when transmitted therefrom, is discriminated by the determination unit. The demodulation of the multi-frequency signals transmitted requires the provision of filters corresponding to the respective frequencies used on the part of the determination unit. However, where a large number of answerers is involved as contemplated herein, the provision of such filters is uneconomical, in particular when the signal transmitted is only two-valued. Another proposal uses a rotary variable capaciter in a tuning circuit so that the tuned frequency may be swept over a range of frequencies covering the whole frequency of the multi-frequency signals. However, there must be a signal switching circuit which is electrically connected with the output of the tuning circuit and rotated in synchronism with the rotation of the variable capacitor. The switching circuit involves the use of mechanical contacts, which is disadvantageous.